


A Daydream Dressed Like A Nightmare

by irisadler



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Cute teen Malec, Horses are BIG yo, M/M, They just want some alone time, cute boyfriends, home for the holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-06-30 04:45:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19845862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/pseuds/irisadler
Summary: It's the holidays, and Alec's back from boarding school. He's brought his boyfriend Magnus home, but it's awfully difficult to get any alone time with nonstop parental supervision and younger sibling excitement. Magnus thinks they've figured out the best idea ever, but reality goes a little differently from what he'd imagined.





	A Daydream Dressed Like A Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 



> **Prompt:** ”OK, I might have forgotten to tell you I’m very afraid of horses.”

It had seemed like a great idea at the time: sneak into the stables for some privacy to make out. With Alec’s younger siblings underfoot and watchful parents around, alone time had been in short supply.

But now...

Magnus tries to remember how to breathe.

“Umm... Alec...?” he whispers, trying to hide his panic.

In Magnus’ peripheral vision, Alec’s head appears through the window Magnus just climbed through.

“What?” Alec asks.

“You said this stall would be empty!” Magnus hisses, caught in a staring contest with the very real, very live, very _large_ horse currently sharing the small space with him.

“Oh, dammit,” Alec mutters. “They’re redoing Jess’ stall. They must’ve put her in here temporarily.”

“Umm... okay,” Magnus says, struggling to keep his voice even. “Well, see, umm... the thing is… okay, I _might_ have forgotten to tell you I’m _very_ afraid of horses...”

He’s about a foot away from the horse in the stall, frozen halfway between a crouch and standing position, his eyes wide and fixed on the giant creature in front of him, looming large and threatening in the dim light of the stables.

Magnus hears movement and feels Alec’s body next to his, and he relaxes a fraction, but he still can’t move.

“It’s okay. Jess won’t hurt you,” Alec says, his voice soft and fond as he reaches out. Magnus tries not to cringe as Alec lays a hand on the horse’s muzzle. Jess snickers softly, and Magnus relaxes a fraction. It’s not that he’s _not_ scared anymore because he hella fucking _is,_ but it helps that Alec’s calm about this without ridiculing his fear.

It also helps that Alec puts an arm around him and slowly guides him to the door. Magnus gives Jess as wide a berth as he can and doesn’t take his eyes off her the whole time, but an endless few moments later, they’re in the hallway that runs parallel to the stalls. It’s not until Alec closes the stall door and Magnus hears it latch that Magnus relaxes, sagging against Alec. 

“Holy _fuck,_ ” he mumbles, turning to bury his face in Alec’s shoulder, his fingers trembling where he grabs onto Alec’s t-shirt.

“Hey,” Alec says softly, his hands moving down Magnus’ back, soothing and repetitive. Like he might gentle a horse, Magnus thinks, a bubble of hysterical laughter rising in his throat.

It takes a little while for Magnus to calm down, but eventually, his breathing slows and he pulls back. “Sorry,” he says quietly, feeling a bit ashamed. “You just wanted a private place and some time together, and now, I’ve made a mess of things.”

“Hey,” Alec says, taking Magnus’ face in his hands. “I’m with _you,_ so everything’s perfect. I’m sorry about Jess. I didn’t know. But _now…_ ” He grins. “Now, I get to comfort my boyfriend and kiss away the memory. What’s bad about that?”

And as Alec proceeds to do just that, Magnus can’t find a single thing wrong with their revised plan.


End file.
